First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed London as one of the world’s great cities yesterday as she insisted its success should be “embraced” rather than viewed as a threat to Scotland.
The SNP leader was pitching to business leaders at a breakfast meeting at the capital’s Mansion House – a stone’s throw from the Bank of England.
Her comments were in stark contrast to the approach of her predecessor Alex Salmond, who described the city as “the dark star of the economy, inexorably sucking in resources, people and energy”.
The now-Gordon MP made the reference – borrowed from Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics – when he gave a speech before the independence referendum.
Ms Sturgeon said: “London is one of the great cities of the world. That is something which should be embraced and seen as good for all parts of the UK.
“I see London’s success not as a threat to Scotland but as a potential big advantage to Scotland. We want to use our proximity to London as a selling point.”
She also used her speech to declare Scotland the “real northern powerhouse”, and highlighted the more cost-effective nature of doing business north of the border.
And she promised consistent support to business regardless of the changing political landscape in the future.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Scotland is open for business and a good place to do business and in the business of discussing how we make ourselves even more attractive.
“There is political support in Scotland from the Scottish Government right through the political community for making sure we are offering the most attractive business environment possible.
“We live in a democracy and we from time to time have referendums on big constitutional issues.
“Not withstanding all that, the business message is a consistent one. We are here to support business investment.”
She pointed to figures showing it is between 30%-40% more cost-effective to do business in Scotland than London – without compromising on quality.
“We’re keen to work with companies which have big operations in London, to explore how offices in Scotland can complement your London bases,” Ms Sturgeon added.
“We think that’s something that can benefit Scotland and benefit London as well.”
Ms Sturgeon called herself a “passionate advocate” of the UK’s continued membership of the European Union.
And she insisted that stance was not contradictory to wanting an independent Scotland.